Three signs that your hot water heater is about to fail

It is always important to get out in front of plumbing problems before they become plumbing catastrophes, but it is especially important to get out in front of any issues that may be plaguing your hot water heater.

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Responsible for so much of our day to day lives – making sure that we can cook and shower comfortably, but for a lot of people also providing radiant heat in the coldest months of the year – your hot water heater is a critical part of your home system and if it fails you are really going to be in trouble.

Thankfully, there are some pretty obvious signs that you will be able to be on the for to get ahead of any major hot water heater catastrophes. Take advantage of the inside information below, monitor your hot water heater on a routine basis, and you shouldn’t have much if anything to worry about.

Your hot water heater is going to include a serial number on the manufacturer’s sticker that includes critical information about its age, and you’ll want to be sure that you know exactly when your hot water heater was created and when it was installed as these pieces of household equipment have a very definite expiration date.

Water heaters that are 10 years old or older should be replaced, as this is when critical internals that allow the hot water heater to operate are most likely to fail. New hot water heaters – especially tankless hot water heaters – are designed to last a bit longer, but 10 years is a general for replacement.

Rusty water is an obvious sign that something is going on

If you discover rusty water coming out of your faucets when you run hot water, the odds are great that you are dealing with a hot water heater that is rusting from the inside out and you’re likely to have leaks in the near future – if you don’t already. This is when you’re going to want to replace your hot water heater, as repairs are likely to be even more costly than replacement.

Rumblings, noises, and “bouncing” is an obvious sign of trouble

If your hot water heater has been pretty much dead silent ever since you first purchased it but is now making all kinds of noise, rumbling, and bouncing around it’s definitely time to replace your system.

Sediment is going to inevitably form and build up on the bottom of your tank, and as this sediment is heated and reheated it’s going to harden into an almost concrete like substance. This is going to damage the system and create a lot lower level of efficiency, so you want to replace your hot water heater ASAP.